Mechanism for the formation of breather openings in knitted stocking fabrics



June 3, 1947. w. wHlTE ETALN 2,421,473

MECHANISM FOR THE FORMATION OF BREATHER OPENINGS IN KNITTED STOCKING FABRICS Filed Dec. 6, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORS' WI! fl Will? Gewye 14. im ff June3, 1947. w. D. WHITE ET AL 2,421,473

MECHANISM FOR THE FORMATION OF BREATHER OPENINGS IN KNITTED STOCKING FABRICS Filed Dec. S 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 n5 2% a on? s 4 June 1947- w. D. WHITE ETAL MECHANISM FOR THE FORMATION OF BREATHER OPENINGS IN KNITTED STOCKING FABRICS Filed Dec. 6, 1943 Iwerzlar; WWI/a Whiz n 3, 1947- -w. D. WHITE ET AL 2,421,473

MECHANISM FOR THE FORMATION OF BREATHER OPENINGS IN KNITTED STOCKING FABRICS Filed Dec. 6, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 47 J6 4 17 if 4/ J! 1 i J3 b l/ T: l/ f5 7 V 5.7 I \OI Patented June 3 1947 MECHANISM FOR THE FORDIATION F BREATHER OPENINGS IN STOCKING FABRICS KNITTED William D. White and George W. Grafi, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignors to Wayne Knitting Mills, Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application December 6, 1943, Serial No. 513,020

13 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in hosiery knitting machines, particularly of the type for producing knitted fabric on a flat frame and shaping the fabric in the process of knitting.

The primary object of our invention is toform, during the process of knitting, a plurality of breather openings in the foot of the stocking or hosiery fabric made of nylon yarn or like plastic yarns.

A further object of our invention is to provide mechanism for locating these breather openings in areas and patterns in the foot of the stocking where they function to the best advantage.

A further object is to utilize the usual narrowing mechanism of the foot knitting machines and to provide said mechanism with modifications which render it capable of performing both the narrowing operations and the breather opening forming operations.

A further object is to provide attachments for the usual narrowing mechanism of foot knitting machines which enable said mechanism to perform the narrowing operations and the opening forming operations either simultaneously or independently during th knitting process, as required by the pattern and location of the breather openings in the foot area of the fabric.

A further object is to provide modifications of the narrowing mechanism for accomplishing the above results, which are readily adaptable to the normal operations of the narrowing mechanism and which are simple, easily installed and inexpensive.

Other objects will appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of our invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of substantially half the width of a fiat knitted fabric forming the foot portion of a stocking, illustrating the pattern and location of the breather openings formed inthe fabric, in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the upper lefthand portion of a full-fashioned knitting machine illustrating one of the knitting sections and the narrowing head and narrowing machine with which the invention is concerned;

Fig. 3 is a. view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating another position of the narrowing head and narrowing machine parts;

Fig. 4 is another view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the narrowing head and narrowing machine parts in still another operating position;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the left-hand portion of the yarn carrier spindle mechanism and the narrowing head, with the parts shown in the operating position illustrated in Fig. 2; V

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view, partly in sec tion, substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged end view of the left-hand end of the mechanism shown in Figs. 2 to 5, illustrating the ratchet mechanism of the carrier and the narrowing head;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail plan sectionof one of the narrowing nut guides and the cooperating stops on a wide finger narrowing rod;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail plan section of one of the narrowing nut guides and the one-needle cam thereon, together with the cooperating stop on a narrow finger rod;

Fig. 11 is a. detail section of the stop lock for holding the narrow narrowing fingers in their central position behind the covering knife; and

Fig. 12 is an enlarged detailed elevation of the needle 'bar l0, one of the wide fingers l2 and one of the narrow fingers l3, as illustrated generally in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the machine shown in the drawings is arranged to form in the foot portion of a stocking a plurality of openings l larger than those in the normal mesh of the knitted fabric, through which the foot of the stocking may breathe while being worn to relieve the interior of moisture. It is desirable to form these breather openings during the process of knitting the fabric in a flat frame, and to locate these openings close to the selvedges 2 of the fabric, so that when the selvedge edges are seamed together the breather openings will be on the under side of the foot. These openings may be arranged in any suitable grouping or pattern and in suiiicient number for the purpose. As indicated in Fig. 1,-the openings are arranged in groups or patterns A and B beneath the instep of the foot and the toe of the foot. It is understood, of course, that in Fig. 1 only onehalf of the width of the fiat fabric is shown, and that similar patterns are formed adjacent the opposite selvedge margin of the fabric. This means that in fact there are two groups A formed in the fabric, which will be located beneath the instep, one on each side of the center seam. Likewise two groups B of openings will be located beneath the toe portions, one on each side of the center seam. The openings in the groups A are disposed in narrow elongated patterns the margins of which for a portion of their length are parallel with and close to the selvedges 2, and the rows or courses of openings are spaced apart lengthwise of the fabric by a plurality of plain knitted courses. The arrangement is such, therefore, that the rows are all formed a definite distance in from the selvedges of the fabric. The openings in groups B are likewise arranged in courses equidistant inwardly from the selvedge margins, but in this pattern the courses of openings are spaced apart lengthwise of the fabric. by one plain-knitted course, so that the openings are more closely grouped than those in pattern A. I

In accordance with this preferred arrangement or patterning of the openings, a part of the pattern A lies in the narrowed portion. of the fabric beneath the instep, and the other part of the pattern lies within the plain knitted portion of the fabric. The pattern 13, however, lies entirely. within the. narrowed. toe portion of the fabrics. for the purposes. ofdescription, therefore, we have designated these several: portions of the fabric. as. zones. C, D, E. F. and G, since the mechanism. functions differently in certain respects in theseveral zones.

We.- utilize. the narrowing head and. the narrowing machineof. a. full-fashioned footer knitting machine for. the nurposeof narrowing the fabric and forming the. openings. l. therein, but wehave modified these mechanisms. so that the openings will be located in theproper place in the fabric, irrespective. of whether the openings are formed simultaneously with narrowing. operations or. independently thereof. In other words, the openings. of pattern A. in zone C and of. patternB in zone F are formedsimultaneously with the narrowing. of the fabric, whereas the openings in pattern A within the zone D are formed in the fabric without. the narrowing of thefabric;

The. structure. and' operation of the knitting machine. itself, and of the narrowing head and narrowing machine used in the. production and fashioning. or shaping of the. footv portion ofthe stocking, are well known and understood. We have, therefore, illustrated only. those parts of these mechanisms which are necessary to an un-- derstanding; of the. invention. For-this reason, the knittingJmachine itself. is. represented only by the. needle bar IB; (Figs. 2, 3 ands) of one section-of. amultii-section machine, so that the relative positions. of. the wide andnarrow. fingers can he explained.

'Iihe. narrowing machine which carries the. nar rowing: fingers functions totak-e the loop-s from the;. needles andtransfer them to adjacent needIes'. In. a footer, the narrowing machine has fourfingers. for each section, two. wide fingers t2;- andtwo narrow fingers l3, both of which are provided with narrowing points. However, in thevpresent. machine we substitute lace points in. the narrowfingersfor the production of the breather openings l. in the fabric. The lace points. as. is Well understood, are spaced to engage alternateknitting needles and to displace the. loopsa-ldistanceofz one need-1e- Since there isno loop .to replacethe. ones takenoii, openings areformediin .the fabric at-that place.

The fingers are carried by thenarrow-in rods l4; and lirespectively, which slide longitudinallyin. bearing brackets. It distributed along the length of the machine to. shift. the fingerstoward and; from.v the center of; the fabric from each .sidethereof: Theserods and bearing brackets form part of an assembly which bodily moves vertically to bring the finger points into and out of engagement with the knitting needles for the purpose of taking the loops from the needles and transferring them again to adjacent needles. The, cam mechanism for imparting vertical movement to the narrowing, rod assembly, andthe chain motion for automatically bringing the narrowing machine into and out of operation, are well. known and understood and are therefore not shown.

'The longitudinal movement of the narrowing rods, for the purpose of shifting the narrowing fingers. laterally to diminish the width of the fabric is brought about through the action of the narrowing head. The narrowing head consists generally of the narrowing nuts 20 and 2|, and the narrowing spindle 22 which is mounted in suitable bearings 23 (Fig. 5) on the frame. The nuts are moved along the spindle by means of thethreads 24,.half of; which are left-handed andtheother half: right-handed, so that. onthe rotation of the spindle. the nuts. travel. toward or from each other. These. nutshave forkedex tensions Z'Eand'. 26.1 which embrace a g-uideshaft 2? to guide the nuts. and hold them against. r0.- tation on the. spindle. Thenarrowing nuts ac tuate thev narrowing rods and for this purpose have guide pieces 28 and 29 which extend: up? ward adjacent. the. narrowing rodsand: are adaptd.- to engage. end stops: on the. narrowing rods. The. narrowing nut. guide pieces are elongated so that the narrowing. rodend; stops can sii'de on the. faces of the guide pieces. when the narrowing; machine assembly is moved vertically. In the usual narrowing machine, thewide fin ger rods it. are provided with single stops 30' and 31 (Figs. 9 and.10:) which-arc. maintained against the faces of the guide pieces by springs. Inthe present machine, however, the wide-v finger. rods are. provided with additional stops 32' and. 33' which bear against the opposite faces of the guide pieces 28 and 29.- sothat movement is imparted positivelyto. the rods in both directions of movementof the narrowing nuts. These additional stopsareprovidedfor the reason that, as will hereinafter appear, the narrow. finger rods I5. are, during certain operations of mechanism, locked to the widefinger' rods l4 and the additional load therebyimposed upon the wide fingerrods t makes it advisable to have the narrowing nuts positively move the narrowing rods in either direction. The narrow finger rods. [5- likewise have stops 3k and 35 which bear againstcam: pieces 36 ontheinner faces of the guides 28 and. 29 These cam pieces.have--bev-- eled faces 3'! which cause the narrow-'fingers-to be shifted toward the center-of thefab-ric adistance equal toone need-leduring that portion of the narrowing operation indicatedas zcneF, as will hereinafter appear.

The-narrowing head includes pawl and ratchet mechanism (Figs. 6, 7 and8) associated withthe outer end of the spindle for rotating the spindle. The spindle isalso provided with a hand crank 38-by which it may be rotated in either direction to move the narrowing nuts and shift the fingers to position the fingers-relativelyto the fabric. The pawl and ratchet mechanism consists of two ratchets 40 and M, and two pawls 42- and, both-of whichare actuatedby thefork member 44. The teeth of the ratchet areengaged-by the pawl 42' during the upward stroke of the fork 44 torotatethe spindlednright-handed direc tion, while. the teeth of the ratchet M are engaged by the pawl 43 upon the downward stroke of the fork 44 to rotate the spindle in the reverse or left-handed direction. The teeth of the ratchet 40 are so spaced that the upward stroke of the fork will rotate the spindle a distance of two teeth, and this rotation is sufiicient to move the narrowing nuts and consequently the Wide fingers a distance of two needles. Normally, in the formation of the.diamond point toe portion of the foot, the wide and narrow fingers are spaced apart one-needle distance, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that the two-needle movement of the wide fingers first closes up the space between the wide fingers and the narrow fingers, and then'moves the narrow fingers a distance of one needle. After the narrowing machine assembly has dipped downwardly, transferred the loops to the adjacent needles and rises again to inactive position, the spindle shaft is given a reverse rotation equivalent to one needle distance by the pawl 43 acting on the ratchet 4| on the downstroke of the fork 44, thus restoring the one-needle space between the wide and narrow fingers. In the present structure we utilize this two-needle inward, one needle reverse movement of the wide and narrow fingers in the formation of the gusset narrowing portion of the foot and in the formation'of the openings I'in zone C of the fabric. An index Wheel 45 is mounted on the spindle shaft between the two ratches 40 and 4|, and has a series of notches 46 which are engaged by a plunger 41 to hold the spindle in its rotated position. The notches on this index wheel are spaced apart 'a distance corresponding to one-needle movement of the fingers.

The fork 44 also operates the carrier rod nut 50 (Figs. 5 and 7) which, as is well known, shortens the travel of the yarn carrier rods coincident with the movement of the narrowing fingers which determine the width of the fabric. The carrier nut is mounted to travel on the threaded carrier spindle 5| which has a ratchet 52 adapted to be engaged by a pawl 53 to correspondingly move the carrier rod nut, the pawl 53 being actuated on the upstroke of the fork 44. When this pawl is disengaged from ratchet 52, the carrier rods and hence the yarn carriers are not moved during non-narrowing operations. The carrier mechanism needs no further description, except so far as the movement of the carrier rod nut controls the position of the pawl 43 with respect to its engagement or non-engagement with the ratchet 4|. The carrier rod nut has a forked extension 54 which embraces and is guided by the guide shaft 55. The forked extension has an upstanding portion 55 which in its travel engages a cam piece 56 on a rocker bar 51. The rocker bar is journaled on the shaft 55 and has a downwardly extending member 58 forming a lever which is attached to the rod 59 mounted in bearings 60. The rod has a pin 6| on a collar which engages the pawl 43 to throw the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet 4|. Thus, when the member 65 engages the cam piece 56 and swings the lever '58 to the left (Fig. 7), it disengages the pawl 43 from the ratchet 4|. When the cam piece 65 rides off of the member 55, the rod moves to the right under the action of spring 62 and allows the pawl to be brought into engagement with the ratchet 4| by the spring 63. When the pawl 43 is out of engagement with the ratchet 4|, the narrowing nut spindle is not rotated reversely on the downstroke of the fork, hence the wide fingers are not moved outwardly one-needle distance after their two-needle advance inwardly,

ratchet 40.

6 as previously explained. The campiece 56, therefore, is placed on the rocker bar 51 in the position in which it will be engaged by the member 65 when the narrowing operation is to begin in,

projects beyond the ratchet teeth and is arranged to throw the pawl 42 out of engagement with the tooth and causes it to skip the immediate tooth and engage the next tooth on its upward stroke. In "this way, the pawl operates to rotate the spindle and move the wide fingers one-needle distance instead of two; but this occurs when the narrowing nuts and the wide fingers are in their extreme outward position, as shown in Fig. 3, and the wide fingers are out of the field of the fabric so that they'do not narrow the fabric. The cam is connected by the links '12 to the arm 13 of a bell crankpivoted at 14 in a bracket 1 5 on the frame. The other arm 16 of the bell crank has an adjustable stop 11 which is positioned in the path of the-extension 25 of the left-hand narrowing nut 20. These parts are so proportioned and arranged that when the narrowing nut 20 is in its extreme outward position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, it will have actuated the bell crank lever to the position indicated indotted lines and rotated thecam 10 into position to cause the pawl 42 to skip one tooth on the ratchet. Thus when the pawl 42 skips a tooth and rotates the spindle, it moves the narrowing nut 20 only one-needle distance away from its extreme position and allows the-spring 18 to restore the bell crank and move the cam 10 away from its pawl-engaging position. On the downstroke of the fork, however, the pawl 43 imparts a reverse rotation to the spindle and moves the nut 2|] outwardly again the equivalent of one-needle distance, and again throws the cam 10 in position to engage the pawl 42 and cause it to skip a tooth. Thus the narrowing nut 20 moves inwardly on the spindle one-needle distance and back again one-needle distance each time the narrowing head operates. This is for the purpose of maintaining the wide fingers |2 in their extreme outer position out of the knitting field, as shown in Fig. 3, so that during that portion of the operation indicated in zone D the fabric will not be narrowed but the narrow fin gers will function to form the breather openings in that zone. 7

7 Since it is necessary in the formation of openings in the zone D to maintain the narrow fingers in the same spaced relation to the selvedge, we provide means for locking the wide and narrow fingers in that relation. This locking means consists of latch hooks 80 which are pivotally mounted at one end 8| on the wide finger and narrow finger rods l4 and I5. The other ends 82 are formed as hooks to engage studs 83 on the narrowing rods I4 and I5. Thus when these hooks are. engaged with the studs 83, they lock the narrowing rods i4 and I5 together so that the one-needle movement each way imparted to the wide finger narrowing rods M will likewise be transmitted to the narrow finger narrowing rods l5. These latch hooks are made adjustable in length so that the spacing between the wide The high portion ll of this camass-mas.

and narrow fingers can be adjusted. veryaccu-..

r-a'tely.

The usual narrowing mechanism of a footer knitting. machine includes a covering plate. and a covering motion located in the center of the knitting section and; adapted to gradually eliminate the points of the narrow fingers from the knitting field inv the formation. of so-called diamond point. toe. As. the. narrow fingersreach-the end portion of the toe, the covering plate enters between the narrowing points and the needles to prevent the narrowing points from picking up and transferring the loops to. adjacent. needles. we do. not form a diamond point toe in the foot portion of the stocking, we utilize the covering plate for preventing the formation of openings l by the. lace points. in the narrow fingers. during the knitting of the fabric. in zone G.

Since the function ofthecovering'plate and the mechanism for operating it in proper timed relation to the narrowing operation is well known and? understood, we have deemed" it unnecessary to. illustrate this mechanism except to show the covering plate 85 itself carried on the. shaft 86.

We utilize this covering plate for eliminating thenarrow finger: points during the processof continuing the narrowing of the toe in the Zone G after the. pattern Bof openings terminates. In order to eliminate these narrow fingers during the narrowing operation in zone G, th narrow fingers are shifted to. the center of the knitting field behind the covering plate 85, as shown in Fig. 4". Thisis done by shifting the narrow finger rods. l by. handuntil the narrowing fingers are: together behindthe covering-plate. In order toihold. these fingers in this position against accidental displacement by vibration or' otherwise, there is provided a stop lock for each of the two narrowfinger rods [5. These stop lock are located at the end of the machine and consist of spring latches 88 mounted on the narrowing rod bearing l6 and adapted to snap over blocks 89' fastened to the rods IS in a position corresponding to the position of the narrowing fingers behind'the covering plate.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows:

When the plain knitting of the fabric reaches the zoneC and it is-desired to narrow the fabric and form the breatheropenings l simultaneously, the machine is stopped and the partsad-justed to the position shown in Fig, 2. This is done by rotating; the spindle by hand to shift both the widefingers i2* and the narrow fingers I3 into proper position with respect to the selvedges' of the fabric. The wide and narrow fingers are one-needle apart. Them-achine is againstarted with thenarrowing mechanism in operation under the control of; the chain motion until the end of the zone C is reached. During this operation the fabric is narrowed and the openings l are simultaneously formed. The Wide finger points dip downwardly, pick up theselvedge loops, shift inwardly atwo-needle distance and move the narrow fingers one-needle distance, dip downwardly again to-transfer theloops to the; needles and rise again to inactive position, ready for the next cycle of operation. Duri-ng therise to'inactive position, the ratchet 4i and pawl i'il'reversethe-movement of thew-idefingcrs'one-neeclle distance outwardly to restore the one-needle space between the wide and narrow fingers. During this narrowing cycle, the points in thenarrow fingers form the openings Since this operation employs. the two-needle in-ward, one needle reverse movement of the narrowing mechanism,

Since each. course of openings. I in zone C is formed:

one needle distance closer; to. the selvedge margin. ofithe fabric; hence in starting zone C, the narrow fingersare positioned sufiiciently inwardly from the selvedge to cause the last course in zoneCrto-be formed. at the desired distance from the selvedge margin.

When the. end of zone C is. reached, the forma.-. tion of the openings 1; is. continued in the zone Debut,withoutnarrowing the fabric. At the end, therefore, of zone C, the machine is stopped and the parts are adjusted forthe operations. in zone B; Thisposition ofthe parts. is shown in Fig. 3. The. narrow fingers remain. in their same position butsthe wide fingers are. adjusted to their extreme outwardpositionoutof the knitting field by? rotating the. spindle. by the hand crank 38.

This. adjustment. brings. the narrowing nuts 20.

and. 2,1. to their extreme outward positions. and causes the nut 20 to engage the. stop 11: on the bell crank it. and rotate. the cam 1.01 to disenage the; pawl Q2: and cause it to skip a tooth anther ratchet, 4:9: when the pawl isv actuated onthe upstrokeof the fork 44'. Thus the wide finers will. be given an inward movement of only onerneedl'e distance instead of two, andv upon the down-stroke of the fork, when the narrowing mechanism rises to inactive position, will be given areverse movement of'one-needle distance by the pawli tfi'; The narrowing rods M- and 15' are now locked; together by these latches so that this oncrneedle. movement each way of the wide fi-nnrsrwill; beimparted to. the narrow fingers. The machine, is now started and the narrowing mechanism will dip the narrowing fingers I13 down-v wardly topickup the loops, shift the points oneneedle distancev to displace the loops and form the holes. dip. again to transfer the loops to the adjacent needle and. rise again to-inactive positio, Upon risingto. inactive .position, the ratchet mfifihanism, moves the narrow fingers outwardly again one-needle distance ready. for the next cycle of; operation. Thus the narrow fingers will, in each operation, form the openings I in the same Wales of the fabric and maintain the courses of openin s. the; same distance from the selvedges ihrfillgi qut the zone D. When the machine is stopped for; adjustment of the parts at the beginningof: zone D, the pawl 53 is thrown by hand out: of engagement. with the ratchet 52', so that on. the wpwardstroke of the yoke 44 the carrier rod nut -5.8 and hence the yarn carriers will not bemoved inwardly; hence thewidth of the fab- He remains uniform during the operations in zone.- B:

Uponthe termination of the pattern of openings I; at. the end of zone D, the conventional chain. controlof the narrowing mechanism automatically renders this mechanism inactive and the knitting: machine continues the plain knitting. of the-fabricuntil the zone F is reached, whereupon the machine is stopped and the parts adjustedtonarrow the foot portion-of the fabric andsimultaneousl-y form the openings in pattern 3-.- To adjust the parts for these operations, the pawl 531 is thrown into engagement with the ratchet 52-, the narrowing rods are unlocked by the disconnection of latches 80 and the spindle rotated to position the wide fingers one-needle distance from the narrow fingers; as'shown in Fig, 2. At this time the carrier-nut will be in the position; (Fig, 59 in-which the member 65 is about to ride the cam piece 56 and swin the pawl 43" ing the machine, the wide fingers will 'dip, pick up the selvedge loops, shift inwardly a two-needle distance, dip again to transfer the loops and rise to inactive position ready for the next cycle. Likewise, the narrow fingers will displace the loops to form the openings I. During this operation, the wide fingers will not be given a reverse or outward movement of one-needle distance because the pawl 43 is out of engaging position with respect to cam 4|. Instead, the narrow fingers will be moved further inwardly a one-needle distance by the cam pieces 36 on the narrowing nut guides 28 and '29 as the narrowing frame rises to inactive position, thus restoring the one-needle spacing of the wide and narrow fingers. The simultaneous narrowing operation and the "formation of the openings in pattern B'will'continue to the end of zone F.

It is now desired to continue the narrowing of the toe portion in the zone G without the formation of the'openings I. 'By this time, the member 65 will have ridden off the cam piece56 and restored the pawl 43' to engagingposition with the ratchet 4|. The'machine is stopped and the parts adjusted to prevent the narrow finger points from. forming the openings. This adjustment is made by shifting the narrowing rods [5 and the narrow fingers |3toward the center of the fabric to a position behind the cover plate 85, as shown in Fig. 4. The wide fingers are then adjusted by rotating the spindle by hand until the wide fingers are in position, as shown in Fig. 4, to engage and transfer as many of the selvedge loops as desired. After this adjustment, the machine is then started and thewid fingers will dip, pick up the loops, shifta two-needle distance inwardly, dip again to transfer the loops and rise to inactive position ready for the next cycle. During the'rise to'inactive position, the wide fingers will be givenareverse outward movement of one-needle distance because-both pawls 42 and 43 are in position to engage their respective ratchets normally:- o

Weclaim:-- i

1. In a full-fashioned foot knitting machine having a narrowing machine including wide fingers and narrow fingers; and a narrowing'head including means for actuating said wide fingers to narrow the fabric, means to lock the narrow fingers to said wide finger actuating mechanism, with the wide fingers out of the knitting field, and means operable when said narrow fingers are locked to said actuatingmechanism to cause said actuating mechanism to move the narrow fingers inwardly one needle distance and outwardly one needle distance with respect to the selvedge margin of the fabric.

2. In a full-fashioned foot knitting machine having a narrowing machine including wide fingers and narrow fingers, and a narrowing head including means for actuating said wide fingers to narrow the fabric, means to lock the narrow fingers to said wide finger actuating mechanism, with the wide fingers out of the knitting field, and means for causing said wide finger actuating mechanism to advance one-needle distance and to retreat one-needle distance.

3. In a full-fashioned foot knitting machine having a. narrowing machine including wide fingers and narrow fingers, and a"narrowing head including means for actuating said wide fingers to narrow the fabric, means to lock the narrow fingers to said wide finger actuating mechanism with the wide fingers out of the knittin field, and means for advancing and retracting said wide and narrow fingers alternatelyone-needle distance with respect to the fabric being knitted.

4. In a full-fashioned foot knitting machine having a fabric narrowingmechanism, including wide and narrow fingers and narrowing rods therefor, the combination of a narrowing head acting on said wide finger narrowing rods for advancing the fingers progressively toward the center of the fabric, means for neutralizing eachadvance of the wide fingers, and means for looking the wide and narrow finger narrowing 'rods together to impart to said narrow fingers the advance and neutralizing movement ofthe wide fingers.

5. In a full-fashioned foot knitting machine, the combination of a narrowing mec'hanism'including wide fingers having narrowing points and narrow fingers having lace points, means for advancing the wide fingers two needle distance and retracting the wide fingers one needle distance with respect to the fabric being knitted, means for positioning the wide fingers out of the knitting field of the fabric to prevent the narrowing operation of said wide fingers, means for connecting the narrow fingers to said wide finger advancing and retracting means, and means to change the operation of said advancing and retracting means to a one needle advance one needle retreat. I

6.'In a full-fashioned foot knitting machine, the combination-of wide and narrow fingers, narrowing rods therefor, a spindle, narrowingnuts on the spindle for actuating said narrowing rods, pawl and ratchet mechanism for rotating the spindle in both directions with respect to the fabric, means for positioning the wide fingers only out of the knitting field of the fabric, "and means for causing said pawl and ratchet mechanism to rotate said spindle equal distances in both directions when the Wide fingers are out of the knitting field whereby equal inward andout- Ward movements are imparted to the narrow fingers which lie within the knitting field.

'7. In a full-fashioned foot knitting machine having narrowing mechanismincluding wide fingers and narrow fingers and narrowing rods therefor, a narrowing head including a narrowing spindle and ratchet means for advancing the wide fingers a two-needle distance and retracting the wide fingers a one-needle distance, a cam associated with said ratchet mechanism for reducing the advance of wide fingers to a oneneedle distance, and means operable when the wide fingers are in their extreme outward position for rendering said reducing means operable.

8. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, the combination of a narrowing machine including wide fingers and narrow loop displacing fingers and narrowing rods carrying said fingers, a narrowing head mechanism including a narrowing spindle, narrowing nuts on said spindle for actuating said rods and a ratchet mechanism for rotating said spindle in either direction, including pawls acting on said ratchets, a cam associated with said ratchet mechanism and acting on one of the pawls for limiting the rotation of the spindle in one direction, and means operable by one of said narrowing nuts in a given position for rendering said cam operable.

9. An attachment for the narrowing mechanism of a full-fashioned knitting machine, comprising a cam on the spindle of the narrowing head adjacent the ratchet and adapted when operated to engage the pawl and cause it to skip a tooth on the ratchet, and means operable by one 111 f the narrowing :nuts in its extreme outward position on'the spindle .for operating said 0am.

:An attachment for the narrowing mecha- .nism-of a-fulhfashioned knitting machine having wide and :narrow fingers and narrowing rods therefor, comprising :a cam on the spindle 'of the narroWin-gfhead adjacent the ratchet and adapted when operated to engage the .pawl and cause it to skip a tooth on the ratchet, means operable by one of the narrowingnuts in its extreme outwariposition -:on the spindle fo operating said cam, and means for interlocking the wide and narrow finger narrowing rods with the wide fingers in their outward position out of the knit-- ting -field and -the narrow fingers in position to displace ,loops in the :fabric in a given relation to the xselvedges.

11. An attachment for the narrowing mechanism of a full-fashioned knitting machine having wide and narrow fingers and narrowing rods therefor, -'compr-isin-ng a cam on the spindle of the narrowing head adjacent the ratchet and adapted when operated to engage the pawl and cause it to skip a tooth on the ratchet, means operable by one ofsthe narrow-inglnuts in its extreme outward position on the spindle for operating :said cam, and latch member on the narrowing rodsfor locking the wide and narrow iinger rods together with the wide fingers in their extreme outward position out of the knitting field and with the narrow fingers in positionto displace the loops in the -fabric adjacent the selvedges thereof.

12. in an attachment for a narrowing mechanism of full-fashioned fiat fabric knitting machines of the type having wide and narrow fingears and :in which the narrowing spindle is rotated 'bypawl andratchet mechanism the equivalentof a'twomeedle distance movement of the wide finger in one direction and a one-needle distance movement in the reverse direction, the combinationof a'cam-on-thespindle adjacent the ratchet adapted when rotated to disengage the pawl from the I-ratohet and cause it to rotate the spindle the equivalent of one-needle distance movement of the wide fingers, and means connected with said cam and positioned to be en- 12 gagedby one of the narrowingnuts onthespindle when said nut is inits extreme outward position to operate sa-id'cam.

-13. In an attachment for a narrowing mechanism of full-fashioned fiat fabric lmitting machines having wide and narrow fingers =and narrowing rods therefor and in which the narrowing spindle is rotated by pawl and ratchet mechanism the equivalent "of a two-needle distance movement of the wide fingers in one direction and -a one-needle distance movement in the reverse direction, the combinationof a cam 'on the spindle adjacent the-ratchet adapted when rotated to disengage the pawl-from the ratchet and cause it to-rotate the spindle the equivalent of one-needle distance movement of the wide fin- ,gers, a 'bell crank connected with said cam and positioned to be engaged by one of the narrowing nuts on the spindle when said nut is in its extreme outward position to operate said cam, and latch means for locking together the wide and narrow finger narrowing rods with the wide fingers in the extreme outward position and the narrow fingers in position to displace loops at a given distance from the 'selvedges of the fabric. D. WHITE. GEORGE W. C'iT'ED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UfiITED STATES PA I'EN'IS Number I U Name Date 1,708,160 merfelder 1-=1.' Apr.'-6, 1929 1,862,416 I Nobel 1 111-1- June'7,-1932 1,87 3,035 Richter 1- new... -Al1g. 23, 1 .932 1,911,318 l-Ieinitz M. 1 fins-May 30, 1933 2,005,461 Gastrichaah 11.1-- Junelii, 1935 2122;344 'fleinitzhmwhhwah June 28, 1938 2,201,135 Howie a MayQl, 1940 2,237,290 Carlson Apr. 8, 1941 2,320,634 Mendelsohn June 1, 1943 1,791,405 Fichtner 1 1 Feb, "3, 1931 2,107,895 Heinitz Feb. 8, 1938 2,221,291 'Straus'sberger Nov.'1'2, '194'0 

